VERONA Italy

Can a city display charisma? Defined as
"compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in
others" charisma requires more than a simple sprinkling of fashionability.

Strategically set on main routes from Rome,
Genoa, and Venice, Verona early established itself as a truly classical Roman
city with an amphi-theatre and large temple on the high bank of the river, and
a Forum, Duomo and Roman Arena on the lower plain enclosed by the looping
river. Laid out with a rectangular grid linking the Arena with the forum, now
Piazza Delle Erbe, the centre still feels deceptively modern.

Verona prospered even after the fall of the
Roman Empire when it became capital of the Ostrogoth and Longobard Dominions.
During the 13th century the powerful Della Scala family added splendour to
Verona with grand monuments, new bridges, extended fortified walls and
gateways. By the 16th century military emphasis was superceded by merchant
activity and Verona expanded with stylish town houses under the artistic and
architectural guidance of Michele Sanmicheli.

The most significant architectural contribution
to Verona by the Della Scala family was Castelvecchio (1355). A robust
crenellated structure with covered towers and an integral bridge across the
River it re-used part of the original city wall, but in the event its defences
proved most useful against internal family feuds. During Mussolini's Italian
fascism, these buildings were converted by Ferdinando Forlati for use as a
museum. Forlati reconstructed towers and turned functional barracks into a
'late Gothic' style palace of culture.

Badly damaged in World War Two the buildings
were again restored in 1958. This time, architect Carlo Scarpa brilliantly
exposed original features throughout and peeled back some of the later pastiche
allowing each iteration of the castle's history to be easily read. Internally
bespoke mountings and plinths give each exhibit a distinctive home while
presenting a timeless building.

Less absorbing but equally remarkable is
Verona’s nearby Roman Arena. A Colluseum look-alike which, in-keeping with the
more modest scale of Verona, has lost its upper levels. Throughout the
nineteenth and twentieth century the Arena became renowned as a superlative
Opera venue during summer months. With an audience capacity of around 20,000 it
currently draws in excess of half a million visitors to the City each year.

Verona's focus and former Forum is around Piazza
Delle Erbe. An irregular open space where frequent busy markets use neat
in-built fold-up stalls. Nearby courtyards and squares, the largest being
Piazza dei Signiori, offer contrasting tranquillity and an aristocratic
settings for grand palaces and domestic residences.

The most famous and most visited address here is
undoubtedly the thirteenth century Juliet's House which is thought to have
belonged to the Capulets. Letters addressed to 'Romeo and Juliet', from around
the world, still receive replies daily from volunteers which helps to consolidate
Verona's reputation as the City of Love. “There is no world without Verona’s
walls” William Shakespeare.

There is no evidence that Shakespeare ever visited
Verona but the energy and will of its citizens throughout the ages to optimise
each opportunity has created a dynamic magnetism. In choosing Verona as setting
for three plays the City's 16th century charisma must have captivated
Shakespeare, and his British audiences, as it still does for international
Opera fans.